Clothes-pounder.



No. 731,021. PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903.

' D. .0. GLINTONGL J. S. KEEL.

v CLOTHES POUNDER. APPLICATION run an. 1. 190a.

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UNITED STATES- Patented June 16, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

DWIGHT O. CLINTON AND JAMES S. KEEL, OF HOLLY SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPI.

CLOTHES- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,021, dated June 16, 1903 Application filed March 7, 1903.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, DWIGHT O. CLINTON and JAMES S. KEEL, citizens of the United States, residing at Holly Springs, in the county of Marshall and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Clothes- Pounder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clothes-pounders, and has for its object the production of a pounder which shall be simple in construction and efficient and easy to operate.

To this end the invention consists in the details ofconstruction, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, and Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view.

Like reference -numerals indicate similar parts in both figures.

The numeral 1 designates the outer casing or body of the pounder, constructed from any suitable material and preferably conical in form, open at its base, and having inserted through its apex a central tube 2, extending within said conical body on the axis thereof and terminating at a point 3 some distance above the bottom or base 4 of the body portion. The upper extremity5 of the tube 2 extends a short distance beyond the apex 6 of the body 1 and is of such a size as to conveniently receive a handle (not shown in the drawings) of any desired length.

The numeral 7 designates a plurality of smaller tubes located within the body 1, radiating from openings 8 in the tube 2, near the lower end thereof, upward toward the openings 9, near the apex of the conical body 1, and are rigidly secured in position by any desired means. I The purpose of the tubes 7 is to form a free passage for water from the tube 2 through the openings 8 and openings 9 to the outside of the conical bodyl and for the admission of air into the tube 2 in the reverse direction. 7

On the outside of the body portion 1, disposed slightly below the apex thereof and arranged so as to cover the openings 9, are secured a plurality of downwardly-opening caps or covers 10, fora purpose hereinafter set forth.

The tubes 7 may be of any desired number,

Serial No. 146,736. (No model.)

with the openings 8 and 9 and covers or caps 10corresponding in numbers thereto.

The lower extremity of the central tube 2 isflared or enlarged to form afunnel-shaped portion 11, which stands a short distance above the base 4 of the body portion 1.

Within the body portion 1 and secured to the sides thereof are a plurality of downwardly-opening and preferably conical aircompression compartments 12, and the lower edge of the body portion 1 is turned or rolled inwardly, as shown at 13, either with or without inclosing a wire in such roll, for the purpose of strengthening such lower edge, preventing damage to the clothes operated upon, and to permit a more easy action and less friction of the pounder when in operation. Across the inside of the body portion are secured braces or rods 14 in any desired number, one end of each being secured to the internal wall of the body 1, extending radially inward, and the other end being secured to the central tube 2, and said braces or rods are substantially parallel with the plane of the base of the bodyl and are secured in position just above the flange or funnel-shaped end 11' of the tube 2 and near the base of the air-compression compartments 12.

Having thus fully described the invention, the operation and advantages of the same are as follows: The pounder is placed into a tub containing the clothes, which latter are covered with Water, and isthen forced downward as far as possible. The action will force some of the water up the central tube 2 and 'out through the smaller tube 7, beneath the caps or covers 10, and back into the tub. The presence of these caps or covers prevents the water from being forced outward over the edge of'the tuband onto the operator, but directs' it down the outside of the pounder and into the tub. The air contained within the body portion 1 and the chambers 12 is compressed by the force of the water and action of the clothes, and the expansion of the air forces the water through the clothes, thus removing the particles of dirt. The flared or conical end 11 of the central tube 2 and the rods or braces 11 tend to prevent the clothes from being pushed up into the body portion, and said rods 14 also serve to hold the tube 2 in position and brace the same against all longi= tudinal strain. As the pounder is raised all the watercoontained in the small tubes 7 begins" to run back into the central tube 2, drawing air with it from the outside and under the cap 10. By the time that the lower edge 4L of said tube is at the same level as the outside water, and almost instantly the air which has entered through the small tubes 7 breaks the suction and the clothes drop easily back into the water without splashing the water onto the operator.

with this construction it will be seen that at no time are the clothes lifted by suction out of the water, as the suction is broken the moment the base of the pounder reaches the surface thereof. It will also be noted that in this construction the lower edge 4 of the body portion is curled or turned inward instead of outward, as is the casein previous constructions. The unobstructed outer face of the lower portion of the pounder will allow the same to move freely through the water without the danger of splashing any of the liquid over the side of the vessel.

WVhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A device of the class described comprising a substantially conical-shaped body portion provided with a plurality of openings near its apex and an inturned lower edge, a centrallydisposed tube within the body portion, adapted to receive a handle in one end thereof, the lower end of said tube being enlarged and terminating short of the base of the body portion and a plurality of braces, one end of which is secured to the body, and the other to the tube near its base, a plurality of upwardly extending and obliquely disposed tubes leading from the lower portion of the central tube and communicating with the openings near the apex of the body portion, downwardly-opening caps secured to the outer face of the body over the end of the tubes and openings, and a plurality of air-compression chambers also located within the body portion.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

DXVIGHT O. CLINTON. JAMES S. KEEL.

Witnesses:

F. F. CLINTON, N. B. CLINTON. 

